Uber Testing New Prepaid Service For Events

Mitra Sorrells, BizBash.com, November 3, 2015

NEW YORK -- Uber is testing a new service in New York targeted to event planners. UberEvents allows hosts to buy guest passes that can be shared with attendees. Hosts can set a maximum value for each ride and the number of rides allowed per pass. Uber says the tool is risk-free for hosts: once an event ends, they receive a refund from Uber for any unused rides.

"When planning a company happy hour, client appreciation dinner, or even upcoming nuptials, there is a lot that goes into ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch--including how your guests can safely get to and from the event without any fuss," wrote Kimiko Ninomiya, Uber senior marketing manager, on the company's blog. "We want to make the experience of planning transportation logistics as seamless as ordering a ride at the touch of a button."

Hosts have the option of creating one code that all guests can use or individual codes for each guest. The code can also be customized to tie into the name of the event, for example OffciePartyEvent (each code ends with the word "Event"). Guests activate the pass by entering their unique code in the "promotions" section of the app before requesting a ride. Passes can be valid for as many as 14 days, and guests pay for any charges that exceed the value of the pass.